Last weekend we harvested crabapples at Lava Lake.

Fall is a time of contrasts for me. Summer is such a busy time at the ranch, but the days are so long they can handle all the busyness. In fall it seems like the pace actually picks up, if that’s possible, yet everything around us – the shortening days, something indefinable but palpable in the air itself — is clearly trying to slow us down, ease us into winter. In our cold country, animals and people alike harvest what crops remain. Bears gorge on choke cherries, rodents store up grain, folks cover their gardens at night in the hopes of protecting them from frost and gaining just a few more warm growing days.  And I pick crabapples.

Our trees are only about 12 feet tall so we can climb up on short ladders and get the fruit easily. Crabapples hang on stems in little clusters. I like to hold a cluster in my hand and carefully bend the stem just at the top of the fruit so that I don’t have much work to do before making them into jelly – I don’t want a bunch of stems and leaves in my bowl. This means I have to pick slowly and carefully, and I found myself enjoying every minute of that task. I didn’t want it to end; I wished it could take all afternoon. The pleasure was in standing outside in the sun, feeling the cool breeze, noticing all the shades of red as the crabapples plopped into my bowl and imagining the beautiful little jars of ruby-colored jelly I would make with them.

Sometimes we hurry through our chores, rushing to get to the next thing. Sometimes that’s necessary in our busy lives. But more and more I am trying to enjoy each task in my day, whether sitting at my computer to do some writing, organizing the storage shed or harvesting fruit.  I’m not giving up efficiency – I can’t afford to. But being in the moment, being grateful for whatever task is before me, seems to reduce the stress of busyness.  Maybe it’s a fall thing.

Next weekend I’m going to make jelly. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Fall colors paint the Lava Lake landscape.

Photo by Glenn Oakley

View of Lava Lake Main Ranch

On July 6th, the Lava Lake crew feasted on lamb chops, fresh corn, and shitake mushrooms – a perfect summer supper! My dad, along with the rest of the table, thoroughly enjoyed the scrumptious chops cooked by my cousin, Colin, on the grill.

Lamb Chops with Fresh Mint Pesto
Good Meat: The Complete Guide to Sourcing and Cooking Sustainable Meat by Deborah Krasner

Ingredients:

• 4 Lava Lake Lamb Loin Chops
• 1 big bunch fresh mint, stems discarded, leaves washed and dried in a salad spinner
• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Procedure:

1) Bring the lamb to room temperature and blot it dry. Heat the broiler to hot.

2) Make the pesto by combining the mint, nuts, oil, garlic, and cheese in the bowl of a mini or regular food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process the paste until fairly smooth.

3) Using the back of a spoon or a pastry brush, coat each chop on both sides with the pesto.

4) Turn on your kitchen fan, put the chops on a broiling rack, and set them close to the heating element for 2 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the strength of the broiler. Aim for rosy centers.

5) Let the meat sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 2-4

Brian Bean enjoying his lamb chop!

The guard-dog puppies have started to grow into their enormous paws and are now old enough to explore the world outside their barn pen. “Mama” keeps a close eye on them, but for the most part they are free to come and go as they please. Their most recent discovery is playing with the rest of the dogs on our grassy lawn. We can now expect anywhere from two to eleven dogs to be joining us for dinner and of course, to protect us with their never-ending chorus of howls and growls at night.

Puppy roaming free in the grass surrounding the yurt complex.

Phoebe Bean with “Mama” and one of her puppies.

Fiona Bean enjoying some puppy love.

West Fork of Fish Creek